Monday brought me to visit the lovely Oakland campus of the California College of the Arts with Curtis, where I met the legendary - but modest and charming - Marilyn da Silva and spoke to their excellent students.
This was the first time I had been asked to give a talk about my work and background, rather than talking about technical practice and I found it quite nerve-wracking. Unusually, I was exceptionally nervous, fumbling about and fluffing lines until I settled down into the swing of things. I had prepared the talk in advance and was very clear about what I wanted to say, but that doesn't make it any easier. It was nice to see that although I seriously overran, the students were attentive and we returned to the workshops to talk about practice and to let them handle a small range of work that I had brought with me.
I was then invited to take part in a crit of their work on chasing and repoussé, which was very intersting, especially given that I am hopeless at the process. (Or is it that I have never bothered to try to learn?) The quality of the work presented was quite phenomenal and it was surprising to learn that they were presenting their first pieces using the process!
So that was my last day in San Francisco. I went out that evening for a final, sad wander around, taking photographs and enjoying the strange crowds who thronged the waterfront:
The busker was unspeakably awful!
Dinner in Chinatown - again! - and off for a coffee and canoli on Columbus, then bed.
The last photograph I took in San Francisco before leaving to return to Glasgow:
